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ayaghmour2 · 03-05-2023, 10:29 PM

A minor, yet to be announced trade was agreed upon, as we shipped off young righty Tommy Crowe to the Stars for their 9th Round Pick. That pick won't happen until June, but as we approached our last pick, there were still plenty of exciting players to scoop up. Crowe himself was an AI pick, a 12th Rounder in 1944 who went 2-5 with a 3.20 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 70.1 innings for the Lions.

7th Round, 99th Overall: RHP Bill Sweet
School: Catholic Central Crusaders
1945: 9-2, 122 IP, 1.25 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 21 BB, 157 K
Career: 28-3, 328.2 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 62 BB, 425 K

The second of two picks acquired from the Gothams during the draft, Bill Sweet will be the last of the two digit draftees. An 18-year-old from Ohio, Sweet is set to start his fourth season as the ace of the Catholic Central Crusaders. Sweet followed up a 10-0 sophomore year with personal bests for ERAs and WHIP with additional bests in strikeouts, starts (16), innings, WAR (6.6), and K/BB (7.5). The talented righty has yet to post an ERA above 1.35, a WHIP above 0.95, or a BB/9 above 2. Signability concerns may have caused him to fall, but now that our owner actually raised our budget by over $100k, I think we'll have the dough to convince him to forego college. A four pitch pitcher, the sidearmer has an excellent slider and a reliable high 80s sinker that produces a multitude of ground balls. His change and knuckle curve don't project to be plus pitches, but if he can locate them, both could be useful change of pace offerings. OSA and Tom Weinstock disagree a bit on his profile, with OSA thinking his stuff could hold him back while Tom thinks its the command. Despite that disagreement, both think he could pitch his way into a back-end role, as he has the tools to pitch as a starter at the highest level.

7th Round, 108th Overall: C Ernie Frost
School: New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy Bulldogs
1945: .450/.534/.670, 121 PA, 10 2B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 7 SB
Career: .450/.534/.670, 121 PA, 10 2B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 7 SB

One of Tom Weinstock's favorite bats in the draft, I finally caved and selected backstop Ernie Frost with our 7th Round pick. Yet another high schooler, Frost didn't start until a Junior, but he hit 4 homers and slugged .670 in 24 games at the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy. A bit on the younger side, he won't turn 18 until August, and he'll join Bill Martin and/or Alex O'Dailey in La Crosse post-draft. What really intrigues on Frost is his power, as he projects to be a pretty strong slugger despite his size. He does swing too much, but he won't chase the real bad pitches, as he can lay off the junk and work the count. Sometimes his aggressiveness hurts him, as he'll put a bad ball in play, but he doesn't yet make enough contact for a high average. The longballs will help, as he profiles as one of those guys who will have high OBPs and slugging without much average. He has obvious offensive potential, but it comes with a lot of developing in the future. Plus there is the risk of being a catcher, with the game spitting out so many subpar ones. Not every catcher can be a Harry Mead or Eddie Howard, but guys like Frost find there way into lineup one way or another.

8th Round, 124th Overall: CF Joe Austin
School: Chesapeake State Clippers
1945: .276/.341/.430, 246 PA, 11 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 34 SB
Career: .276/.341/.430, 246 PA, 11 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 34 SB

Wrapping up the human portion, we drafted just our second college player, Canadian outfielder Joe Austin. Austin enrolled in Chesapeake State in Maryland as a sophomore and hit .276 with 3 homers, 34 steals, and 37 RBIs. The Montreal native is a natural center fielder, but made appearances at first, second, short, left, and right as well. As you might expect, that's a large part of what attracted me to him, as not only can he play all around the diamond, but he's a "defensive marvel" out in center and has played plenty up the middle of the diamond. His speed is a huge plus, but his bat isn't too shabby either. He's a line drive hitter who sprays the ball around the field, and with a a short and compact swing, he can catch up to even the quickest fastballs. Not much home run power, but Austin could be a triples machine, as he'll hit plenty of balls down the line and in the gaps. Whether it's on the bases, in the box, or on the field, he has plenty to offer, but Austin doesn't come with the upside that many of our previous picks boasted. He's a solid reliable roster member who helps the team win, and his hustle and versatility will make him very popular in our organization.

Done with drafting for the Winter, which means baseball is really close to returning. My excitement level is up to 1,000, as we finally get a full season of good 'ol Peter the Heater! Add in the returns of plenty of other favorites in Leo Mitchell, Carlos Montes, and the Jones Brothers, and things are really looking good in Chicago. I don't think we've ever had this level of overall talent in the organization, and while I do say it almost every year, I think this is ours. A new GM in Cincinnati may help too, but on paper I don't think any team in the FABL can keep up with us. At current town, OSA says we are top four in every position except catcher (5th), first (8th), and if you count it, reliever (12th). Our pitching depth is unmatched, with budding stars like Duke Bybee and George Oddo not needed in the rotation, and a former top 15 prospect and #4 pick is our #6 starter. Our bench consists of Ray Ford, Clark Car, Rabbit Mudd, Jim Beard, and Don Lee, all guys who are more then capable of playing every day. Of course, Ford, Car, and Lee will get plenty of at bats, but unlike this season when our best hitter (Cliff Moss) went down and we collapsed, it would take a lot of injuries before we had to tap into a sub-optimal starter. Spring Training starts in almost exactly one month, so as long as we can keep everyone on the field, I think we'll open up a big lead early on.

This time, just try not to blow it? Okay!?

I never want to relive the 1944 collapse ever again...

03-05-2023, 10:29 PM	#1033
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,012	1946 Draft: Rounds 7 and 8 A minor, yet to be announced trade was agreed upon, as we shipped off young righty Tommy Crowe to the Stars for their 9th Round Pick. That pick won't happen until June, but as we approached our last pick, there were still plenty of exciting players to scoop up. Crowe himself was an AI pick, a 12th Rounder in 1944 who went 2-5 with a 3.20 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 70.1 innings for the Lions. 7th Round, 99th Overall: RHP Bill Sweet School: Catholic Central Crusaders 1945: 9-2, 122 IP, 1.25 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 21 BB, 157 K Career: 28-3, 328.2 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 62 BB, 425 K The second of two picks acquired from the Gothams during the draft, Bill Sweet will be the last of the two digit draftees. An 18-year-old from Ohio, Sweet is set to start his fourth season as the ace of the Catholic Central Crusaders. Sweet followed up a 10-0 sophomore year with personal bests for ERAs and WHIP with additional bests in strikeouts, starts (16), innings, WAR (6.6), and K/BB (7.5). The talented righty has yet to post an ERA above 1.35, a WHIP above 0.95, or a BB/9 above 2. Signability concerns may have caused him to fall, but now that our owner actually raised our budget by over $100k, I think we'll have the dough to convince him to forego college. A four pitch pitcher, the sidearmer has an excellent slider and a reliable high 80s sinker that produces a multitude of ground balls. His change and knuckle curve don't project to be plus pitches, but if he can locate them, both could be useful change of pace offerings. OSA and Tom Weinstock disagree a bit on his profile, with OSA thinking his stuff could hold him back while Tom thinks its the command. Despite that disagreement, both think he could pitch his way into a back-end role, as he has the tools to pitch as a starter at the highest level. 7th Round, 108th Overall: C Ernie Frost School: New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy Bulldogs 1945: .450/.534/.670, 121 PA, 10 2B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 7 SB Career: .450/.534/.670, 121 PA, 10 2B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 7 SB One of Tom Weinstock's favorite bats in the draft, I finally caved and selected backstop Ernie Frost with our 7th Round pick. Yet another high schooler, Frost didn't start until a Junior, but he hit 4 homers and slugged .670 in 24 games at the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy. A bit on the younger side, he won't turn 18 until August, and he'll join Bill Martin and/or Alex O'Dailey in La Crosse post-draft. What really intrigues on Frost is his power, as he projects to be a pretty strong slugger despite his size. He does swing too much, but he won't chase the real bad pitches, as he can lay off the junk and work the count. Sometimes his aggressiveness hurts him, as he'll put a bad ball in play, but he doesn't yet make enough contact for a high average. The longballs will help, as he profiles as one of those guys who will have high OBPs and slugging without much average. He has obvious offensive potential, but it comes with a lot of developing in the future. Plus there is the risk of being a catcher, with the game spitting out so many subpar ones. Not every catcher can be a Harry Mead or Eddie Howard, but guys like Frost find there way into lineup one way or another. 8th Round, 124th Overall: CF Joe Austin School: Chesapeake State Clippers 1945: .276/.341/.430, 246 PA, 11 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 34 SB Career: .276/.341/.430, 246 PA, 11 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 34 SB Wrapping up the human portion, we drafted just our second college player, Canadian outfielder Joe Austin. Austin enrolled in Chesapeake State in Maryland as a sophomore and hit .276 with 3 homers, 34 steals, and 37 RBIs. The Montreal native is a natural center fielder, but made appearances at first, second, short, left, and right as well. As you might expect, that's a large part of what attracted me to him, as not only can he play all around the diamond, but he's a "defensive marvel" out in center and has played plenty up the middle of the diamond. His speed is a huge plus, but his bat isn't too shabby either. He's a line drive hitter who sprays the ball around the field, and with a a short and compact swing, he can catch up to even the quickest fastballs. Not much home run power, but Austin could be a triples machine, as he'll hit plenty of balls down the line and in the gaps. Whether it's on the bases, in the box, or on the field, he has plenty to offer, but Austin doesn't come with the upside that many of our previous picks boasted. He's a solid reliable roster member who helps the team win, and his hustle and versatility will make him very popular in our organization. Done with drafting for the Winter, which means baseball is really close to returning. My excitement level is up to 1,000, as we finally get a full season of good 'ol Peter the Heater! Add in the returns of plenty of other favorites in Leo Mitchell, Carlos Montes, and the Jones Brothers, and things are really looking good in Chicago. I don't think we've ever had this level of overall talent in the organization, and while I do say it almost every year, I think this is ours. A new GM in Cincinnati may help too, but on paper I don't think any team in the FABL can keep up with us. At current town, OSA says we are top four in every position except catcher (5th), first (8th), and if you count it, reliever (12th). Our pitching depth is unmatched, with budding stars like Duke Bybee and George Oddo not needed in the rotation, and a former top 15 prospect and #4 pick is our #6 starter. Our bench consists of Ray Ford, Clark Car, Rabbit Mudd, Jim Beard, and Don Lee, all guys who are more then capable of playing every day. Of course, Ford, Car, and Lee will get plenty of at bats, but unlike this season when our best hitter (Cliff Moss) went down and we collapsed, it would take a lot of injuries before we had to tap into a sub-optimal starter. Spring Training starts in almost exactly one month, so as long as we can keep everyone on the field, I think we'll open up a big lead early on. This time, just try not to blow it? Okay!? I never want to relive the 1944 collapse ever again...